Such a top is known from practice and comprises a linkage, wherein, by using said linkage, at least one top element is displaceable between a closed position for spanning a vehicle interior and a cleared position for clearing the vehicle interior to the top. The top element may be a rigid roof element extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle or also a top cloth, which is stored, in the cleared position, in a rear storage space of the relevant vehicle. Furthermore, a rear window is linked to the linkage via rear window links that are arranged, in relation to a vertical longitudinal center plane of the top, on each of its two sides, said rear window being situated, in the closed position of the top, in an erected viewing position and, when the top has been stored, is moved into a lowered storage position, in which the rear window is equally arranged in the rear storage space.
If large items, which may be called obstacles, are situated in the storage space, the top or the rear window cannot be placed into the storage space. In order to prevent this, convertible vehicles are known in which the storage space is separated from a loading space of the relevant vehicle through a separating device. The separating apparatus, however, leads to the loading space being significantly smaller, even when the top has not been stored. In order to be able to do without a separating apparatus and in order to prevent the top from being laid down when an obstacle is located in the storage space, it is known to use optical sensor elements. Such optical sensor elements, however, work unreliably, such that it cannot be precluded that the top and/or the rear window is damaged by the obstacle.